Apartment Cleaning Preparation for Landlords and Tenants

Rental property is increasingly in-demand, especially in the business central areas.

Moving into a new apartment is exciting, on the other hand, if you are the property owner, not so much. Preparing the property for new tenants is necessary. Aside from it reflecting your personality as a landlord, it will also give you a higher and continue potential earning in the long run.

As a tenant, cleaning before moving out or moving into a new home can also be an advantage. Most of the property owners or landlords take a utility checklist and photographic record before you move in, having your home cleaned by a professional can guarantee a possible return of your safety deposit and can also help you identify any issues before moving into your new home.

Re-cleaning the unit is the key to breaking a new rental agreement, most tenants seek a comfortable, stress-free, and hygienic home. You might want to consider trained eyes to identify a fresh clean apartment. 

Apartment cleaning preparation might spend quite a bit of time on cleaning baseboards and floors, your back, hands, and knees from scouring and making every corner clean. 

Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance or a cleaning partner for your apartment, not all are expensive. Vivian’s Maid In Seattle invests time to provide you with good-quality cleaning and equipment that will guarantee you a higher return of investment and a higher probability of return security deposit. 

Complete and thorough deep cleaning is essential for both tenants and property owners, and for both re-leasing a unit and identifying any issues that need to be addressed.

 

To help you manage your property as a landlord here is the basic checklist for you.

  • Make sure to attend the move-out inspection. It is an important part of the rental process to avoid paying for false claims and dispute property damages. It also gives you the ability to weigh which are your tenant’s responsibility and yours when it comes to damages or repair.

  • Always maintain and bring your photographic records for all properties that you might have. It is a good way to know what the property looks like over time. Plus it will also save you some work if you need to list it quickly.

  • Don’t forget to ask your tenants if they still have any open utility accounts. You might want to consider retaining control of the utilities for all units, as it can be a serious consequence for you, as a landlord, if your previous tenant fails to pay or turn off a utility account. 

  • To increase your property curb appeal, fresh paint should be applied to all indoor areas. It is the cheapest way to remodel your unit. Clean, patch, and paint the walls. Have your new tenants feel that they are the first occupant of your unit. 

  • Replace the old carpets, please! Deep shampooing or steam vacuuming is sometimes not enough. To make sure your unit is pest-free, remove any unwanted odors and stain, replace your carpets with neutral or light colors.

  • Plumbing leaks is one of the major turn-offs. Plus it is also the most damaging and expensive issue that arises in rental units. Always inspect, replace, and repair plumbing to ensure the longevity of your best investment

  • The final touch is often the first thing prospective tenants will see. Making the inside and outside of the house clean gives an expression that you and your property have enough on your plate. Cleaning and re-cleaning can surely get you a new rental agreement. 

Here’s the Apartment cleaning preparation checklist for tenants who will be moving into a new home or moving out and to help you get the job done right. 

  • Allot enough time to create a move-out cleaning plan. Don’t forget to include a time for your landlord to do a property check-up after the cleaning, in order to get your safety deposit back. 

  • Close all your utility accounts on or before you move-out to avoid further issues.

  • Don’t assume that your landlord does not have a photographic record of the property. Some of them have and others don’t. But always be mindful of the structure details as they know it better than you. They’ll see damaged floors or walls if there’s one in miles away.

  • Deep clean your carpets and kitchen

  • Thoroughly clean your bathroom (you might want to check our bathroom deep cleaning tips here).

  • Include cleaning the areas that you might think that your landlord will not check such as, top shelves of closets and cabinets, backsplash and wall next to the stove, ceiling fans, windowsills, top of baseboards, AC units, your washer, dryer and lint traps, sweep outdoor areas. 

  • And more cleaning before the inspection. 

    • Kitchen:

      • Wash the dishes

      • Kitchen surfaces like stove, counters, and sinks.

      • Remove stains on the floor

      • Kitchen appliances → fridge, microwave, and oven.

      • Bathroom

    • Clean the sink and counters

      • Scrub and wipe the toilet seat and base

      • Sweep and mop the floor

      • Clean shower-head and faucets (remove all the soap scum)

    • Bedroom

      • Put your clothes to the designated areas.

      • Keep our surfaces clean and uncluttered.

      • Make your bed.

    • Living room

      • Clean the clutter off the surfaces and furniture. 

      • Sweep and vacuum underneath each furniture.

    • Floors and Carpets

      • Polish floors

      • Vacuum and remove the stains on the carpets

    • Walls, Doors, and Windows

      • Wipe the walls, door frames, knobs, window sills, window frames, and blinds

      • Remove the coffee spots or splatters

      • Don’t forget to wipe the baseboards


Here is Deep Cleaning Must-Haves for property owners or landlords, or to tenants who want to ensure their security deposit’s safe return.

  • Magic Eraser - For removing grime from gout and permanent marker from walls.

  • Steam Mop - Hard to clean dirt on bathroom floors or kitchen

  • Cheap Electric Toothbrush - good for scrubbing hard to reach areas or grit that has accumulated in the base of cabinets and under the molding.

  • Carpet freshener or baking soda - remove unpleasant smell.

  • Can of Caulk and Scraper tool - replacing new caulking entirely for your bathroom area.

  • Carpet Cleaner

  • Bleach 

  • Scrub brush - extra elbow to remove stubborn grime.

  • Soft sponges and microfiber cloths - cleaning less demanding areas like fixtures, tub, ceramic surfaces, and furniture.

  • Window cleaner - glass cleaning solution, window squeegee, t-bars, window scraper, and rubber.

  • Cleaning solution - wood surfaces, tiles, all-purpose, glass, and ceramic. Remember that not all solutions can be used for all types of surfaces. 


Apartment cleaning takes a lot of focus and you need to invest an enormous amount of time and money. If you feel that move-in and move-out cleaning takes a lot of your time and would like to have your property be perfectly clean before your new occupants arrive or your landlord arrives, you might want to consider asking for a CLEANING PARTNER
that provides a free cleaning quote, quality services, approachable and trustworthy cleaning maids.

 
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